Recurring UTIs

[sunkissedpr1ncs]

Diet can have something to do w/it, but I don't know too much about this (just what I've read on here and other forums). If you switch, maybe consider Honest Kitchen, since she has reoccurring UTIs and has had stones…she could possibly use more liquid. Wes just switched recently and can give you some pointers and Jessica's Ty has been on it for quite a while and doing really well…(tagged for more info/advice)

We are on Fromm, but I recommended HK instead of another kibble because of the bladder.

Can you ask your vet about probiotics since she has been on antibiotics so much (they kill the good bacteria and that needs to be replenished). Boosting the immune system can't hurt. I hope they figure out what is going on and you get some answers…wish I knew more, keep us posted after her next appt.

Yea I have looked into HK before as well, it's pretty expensive but I guess not more than paying all these vet bills!! I already give her a daily probiotic from Hardypet. She also gets Apple Cider Vinegar in her food everyday (plus I always add water to their kibble) and was giving her a cranberry supplement for awhile but she was still getting the infections so haven't given that in awhile. Thanks so much for all the suggestions, I know I always like to try everything bc you just never know what could be the problem!


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[NewEnglandBully]

Who is your vet? Any chance you could get a second opinion if this keeps happening and they can't figure out why? This one was recommended for Houston a few years back…is this your vet by any chance??

Brittmore Animal Hospital

Dr. Matt Dikeman or Dr. Kit Kampschmidt

Houston, Texas

713-468-8253

[rjisaterp]

Thanks but we already take them to a great bulldog vet here in Houston The only other thing they have mentioned is she may need surgery to tuck her vulva under but said before that hers doesn't really look that bad so I don't even know if that would help and really don't want to put her through another surgery again right now!


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Which bulldog vet do you have in Houston. @Marine91 can recommend a vet if needed.

[Marine91]

Which bulldog vet do you have in Houston. @Marine91 can recommend a vet if needed.

Laurie has it covered as the one she listed is the one many of us use.

[Chunky White]

I am the Wes mentioned above and my dog Chunky had cystine stones which are usually are a problem in male dogs or possibly just more noticeable because they cannot pass them as easy as a female dog. Cystine stones are caused by eating foods that are too high in protein and contain a lot of phosphorus. I am not sure about the food your dog is on. The fix for him was to get neutered and surgery to remove the stones plus changing his diet.

I am giving Chunky The Honest Kitchen Turkey and Parsnips and I think it will take almost two boxes per month to feed him going by the amount given on the box which will be around $180 per month.

I no longer give him Apple Cider Vinegar because I don't know how much cystine which is an amino acid or phosphorus is in it. I also took him off NuVet Plus because it contains more phosphorus than whats recommended per day for dogs with this problem.

I would have the vet send off any stones that show up to see if her stones are cystine also. Chunky was around 17 months when the issue started

Good luck!!


Chunky was eating Orijen Six Fish when he started having the problems which is high in protein compared to other kinds of protein like beef or turkey. I have no idea if that really has anything to do with it

[sunkissedpr1ncs]

Who is your vet? Any chance you could get a second opinion if this keeps happening and they can't figure out why? This one was recommended for Houston a few years back…is this your vet by any chance??

Brittmore Animal Hospital

Dr. Matt Dikeman or Dr. Kit Kampschmidt

Houston, Texas

713-468-8253

Yep this is our vet I gave them a call to see if we can get her started on antibiotics again in the meantime and then see what else we can do when we take them in on Saturday


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[NewEnglandBully]

Yep this is our vet I gave them a call to see if we can get her started on antibiotics again in the meantime and then see what else we can do when we take them in on Saturday


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Sorry for all you're going through Michele - I hope they have some answers for you Sat.

[sunkissedpr1ncs]

I am the Wes mentioned above and my dog Chunky had cystine stones which are usually are a problem in male dogs or possibly just more noticeable because they cannot pass them as easy as a female dog. Cystine stones are caused by eating foods that are too high in protein and contain a lot of phosphorus. I am not sure about the food your dog is on. The fix for him was to get neutered and surgery to remove the stones plus changing his diet.

I am giving Chunky The Honest Kitchen Turkey and Parsnips and I think it will take almost two boxes per month to feed him going by the amount given on the box which will be around $180 per month.

I no longer give him Apple Cider Vinegar because I don't know how much cystine which is an amino acid or phosphorus is in it. I also took him off NuVet Plus because it contains more phosphorus than whats recommended per day for dogs with this problem.

I would have the vet send off any stones that show up to see if her stones are cystine also. Chunky was around 17 months when the issue started

Good luck!!


Chunky was eating Orijen Six Fish when he started having the problems which is high in protein compared to other kinds of protein like beef or turkey. I have no idea if that really has anything to do with it

Hey there! Yes I have commented on your other posts before as I am unfortunately no stranger to cystine stones! Our other bulldog, Barkley, had them a few years ago but since neutering had not had anymore problems She only had stones one time and they went away with antibiotics so they were not cystine. I don't believe females get cystine stones anyway since they seem to be testosterone dependent. Our bulldog vet even said that neutering prevents these from recurring as well We still give Barkley the ACV everyday and he has been fine. I may stop giving Pippen the HardyPet daily vitamins, they are similar to Nuvet, to see if that may help as well!


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[sunkissedpr1ncs]

Sorry for all you're going through Michele - I hope they have some answers for you Sat.

Thank you so much I really appreciate you being so helpful!!


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[sunkissedpr1ncs]

I am the Wes mentioned above and my dog Chunky had cystine stones which are usually are a problem in male dogs or possibly just more noticeable because they cannot pass them as easy as a female dog. Cystine stones are caused by eating foods that are too high in protein and contain a lot of phosphorus. I am not sure about the food your dog is on. The fix for him was to get neutered and surgery to remove the stones plus changing his diet.

I am giving Chunky The Honest Kitchen Turkey and Parsnips and I think it will take almost two boxes per month to feed him going by the amount given on the box which will be around $180 per month.

I no longer give him Apple Cider Vinegar because I don't know how much cystine which is an amino acid or phosphorus is in it. I also took him off NuVet Plus because it contains more phosphorus than whats recommended per day for dogs with this problem.

I would have the vet send off any stones that show up to see if her stones are cystine also. Chunky was around 17 months when the issue started

Good luck!!


Chunky was eating Orijen Six Fish when he started having the problems which is high in protein compared to other kinds of protein like beef or turkey. I have no idea if that really has anything to do with it

I started looking into THK some more and emailed them to see if they had any suggestions on one that helped more with urinary issues. Their response was:

"A dog that deals with UTI's, will need a diet with reduced protein, phos and magnesium. Moisture is also key in this case, so adding extra water to the food is suggested. Her top choice in this case is our Keen diet.

Keen is a hearty dehydrated whole grain diet made with cage-free turkey, low-gluten oats and garden vegetables like carrots and cabbage."

Sounds right on with what you said about the protein and phosphorus! This recipe is pretty reasonably priced so I may try it. The only thing I'm worried about is that it isn't grain free since it has oats but I'm hoping that won't be a problem since they are good quality!


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[Chunky White]

I started looking into THK some more and emailed them to see if they had any suggestions on one that helped more with urinary issues. Their response was:

"A dog that deals with UTI's, will need a diet with reduced protein, phos and magnesium. Moisture is also key in this case, so adding extra water to the food is suggested. Her top choice in this case is our Keen diet.

Keen is a hearty dehydrated whole grain diet made with cage-free turkey, low-gluten oats and garden vegetables like carrots and cabbage."

Sounds right on with what you said about the protein and phosphorus! This recipe is pretty reasonably priced so I may try it. The only thing I'm worried about is that it isn't grain free since it has oats but I'm hoping that won't be a problem since they are good quality!


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I might look into the as well. I have no idea if Chunky would have any issues with grains since I have never fed him anything with grains in it other than what the vet sent him home with and I only fed him that for 3 days mixed in with Acana Appalachian Ranch that i had switched him back too.

I remember you commenting in my thread now that you mention it. From what I read female dogs can get cystine stones also but they aren't noticeable since they can pass them without issues. I read a lot of different articles so I don't remember exactly where I read it at. The article might of meant the female can carry the disease and pass it on to its pups

I hope Pippen gets better

[NewEnglandBully]

Going out on a limb here…but I wouldn't be as concerned w/the "grain-free" thing at this point, just w/all that is going on…and HK being a recommended food on here. A lot of the hype w/grains has to do w/allergy prone breeds, poor ingredients and the whole GMO's causing leaky gut and such. Not all grains cause problems and some "grain-frees" are not appropriate for individual dogs.
Potatoes and yams can also cause allergy related issue and they are listed in some grain-free foods - so keep in mind when trying to find a good fit. Your case is different because of the constant UTI's and not knowing the underlying problem yet. It could be that the first one never quite went away, or her vulva, or diet/immune related…sounds like you've been doing all you can, hoping someone chimes in w/experience in why this is happening to her.